starter replay

[65eglide]

anyone know if a 67 starter relay will work in a 65, and what the differance would be. I can find one for a 67 but not for a 65
now i know why because it did not come with one...

[rbenash]

Starter relays on '65's were installed as a retrofit/serivice bulletin activity when they came into the shop. There is kit for that purpose with the bracket, attachment hardware,and wiring as well as just the relay. The part number for the kit is 71451-65 and was intended to add the missing relay in post production. The relay itself is 71451-67 which was just the relay and the wiring. It's the same Delco relay as in the kit. I have NOS versions of both in factory pack, which tells me that.

My 58-68 parts book says the kit is for '65 to early '67 and the relay only PN says 65 - * which would mean OK for 65 to at least 68 IMHO, maybe further just beyond the day of my parts book is all, but would need a more recent parts book to be certain.

Basically the -65 was a retrofit kit for bikes that came without one. the -67 was intended for relay only replacement on bikes that already had the bracket and hardware along with the relay and wiring installed at the factory.

There's a service bulletin on adding the relay. I don't have one but others watching hear may be able to post a scan. That would come in handy if you are going to install one on your bike and give you an idea of what hardware was used.

My kit is at the shop that's working on my '65 or I would scan it for you. My '65 had the kit installed by the original owner, but not the circuit breaker which is another retrofit/service bulletin item. I will be adding that.

[Underdoggie]

If someone does have the bullitin for adding the relay kit I would really appreciate getting a copy. I do have one for the circuit breaker and did add one of those. I added a relay to my 65FL but did not use a kit as as I look back on it, I did an unthinkable thing, I drilled a hole in my battery box to mount it. Wish now I had not done that but its too late now.
Underdoggie

[portagepan]

I think the retro fit circuit breaker was usually installed to the battery box. it is all a tight fit.
Mike

[rbenash]

I think the retro fit circuit breaker was usually installed to the battery box. it is all a tight fit.
Mike

It was installed to the battery box, but had a specific bracket and hardware. Tight fit for sure. In '66 and later they even had an accessory cover made for it that hung below the battery box. More holes My NOS starter relay kit is up at the shop doing my restoration. Going to see if I can get them to fax me a copy of the installation docs, will scan and post.

Don't have the shop bulletin. I'l double check to make sure I don't have a pdf laying around somewhere. I'm betting that Chris has one though

[Chris Haynes]

Don't have the shop bulletin. I'l double check to make sure I don't have a pdf laying around somewhere. I'm betting that Chris has one though

What Chris has and what he can find are two different things.

[rbenash]

What Chris has and what he can find are two different things.

Yeah I know the feeling. So there wasn't an install sheet in the nos relay kit, sorry I won't be able to provide much more information. I do think I may have a pdf or the sheets somewhere. Looked with my NOS spares stash and my docs and haven't come up with it. Thought for sure there was one in that kit, but I could have been mistaken. The kit might have been intended for use with the service bulletin during the install, may not have been an install guide per se. Not sure.

[Rubone]

The Shop Dope referring to the relay states that instructions are included in the kit. It is #551 dated Feb.20,1967 and says all models after Feb, 13th , 1967 were equipped at the factory and the kit is available as part # 71451-65. I have not found any other reference and the Shop Dope has NO pictures.
Robbie

[rbenash]

The Shop Dope referring to the relay states that instructions are included in the kit. It is #551 dated Feb.20,1967 and says all models after Feb, 13th , 1967 were equipped at the factory and the kit is available as part # 71451-65. I have not found any other reference and the Shop Dope has NO pictures.
Robbie

Interesting - I probably pulled the paper from the kit and kept it in a safe place. So - it's around somewhere. Or the previous owner pulled them before he sent the kit to me.

[65eglide]

got the starter relay the other day, just mounted it to one of the starter studs, hangs down a little but should be alright with loctite until i can find a battery tray that has the mount on it. Starter seems a little quicker, but still not spinning as fast as I think it should be

[portagepan]

The bracket is different for the retro. We had a thread on this a while ago. I thought the directions were in the archives here. Shop dope doesn't say where to put it. I think most were put on the back or bottom of the battery tray, with sheet metal screws. The older dealers I have talked to said it was up to them to find a place for it. Some put it on the rear fender towards the bottom in front. Mine got to be AWFUL tight when I put it on the battery bracket. They sure crammed the stuff into those 65's! But after smoking the wires inside my handlebars once, I was glad to put it on!
Mike

[rbenash]

The bracket is different for the retro. We had a thread on this a while ago. I thought the directions were in the archives here. Shop dope doesn't say where to put it. I think most were put on the back or bottom of the battery tray, with sheet metal screws. The older dealers I have talked to said it was up to them to find a place for it. Some put it on the rear fender towards the bottom in front. Mine got to be AWFUL tight when I put it on the battery bracket. They sure crammed the stuff into those 65's! But after smoking the wires inside my handlebars once, I was glad to put it on!
Mike

My '65 had the kit installed. I will look at my photo archive to see if there is one that captures the installation/position. It was mounted to the underside of the batter tray on mine, center toward the back if I recall correctly. The previous owner/s also installed the early shovel era relay cover I'll ask the folks doing my restore (Americancyclefab) take some photos of the kit if they use it. They may not need it since they may just reinstall the relay with the existing hardware that was on the bike.

[portagepan]

I was just looking at my service bulletin, vol.4, and the electric starter relay conversion kit is also to be installed on the bottom of the battery tray. Too bad mine is covered up out in the shed, and this stinkin' computer ate the scores of pics I took while going through the bike. I didn't restore it. Just fixed it up in a 99% original way to enjoy it. I put the circuit breaker on the back of the bracket in mine, I think.
Mike

[flat-happy]

i thought i lost all my pics too but i took the tower down to the local computer store and he found them still on the hard drive. i thought i knew a lot about computers but not as much as this guy. he restored my computer and put all the pix on a disk for me for $35 and only had to leave it for a day

[Underdoggie]

[QUOTE=rbenash;90775]It was installed to the battery box, but had a specific bracket and hardware. Tight fit for sure. In '66 and later they even had an accessory cover made for it that hung below the battery box. More holes
I put mine on in 88, the first summer I had it I used it as my rider and ran into starter circuit problems right away. I did get a delco relay at a swat meet but in those days I was not as educated as I am now on not screwing with original bikes. I did the unthinkable and drilled some holes in the battery box. Here is a shot of the relay the way it is now, this position sure made it easy to wire (with the battery out) and the other picture is that relay cover you talked about. I have since taken it off as you can see in the first pix.
Underdoggie